Claim – Sheikh Hasina’s protocol officer SM Khurshid Ul Alam became the Interim Government’s Foreign Secretary
Fact – SM Khurshid Ul Alam on the viral passport and Muhammad Khurshid Alam are two different individuals.
An image of a passport featuring Sheikh Hasina’s photograph was circulated, claiming that SM Khurshid Ul Alam, listed as the emergency contact, had been appointed as the Foreign Secretary of the Interim Government. The name SM Khurshid Ul Alam is visible in the emergency contact section of the viral passport image. It was claimed that this trusted individual of Sheikh Hasina is currently serving as the Acting Foreign Secretary of the Interim Government. See the posts here and here.
Newschecker-Bangladesh has verified the claim and found it to be false
Fact check/Verification
To verify whether SM Khurshid Ul Alam, listed as the emergency contact on Sheikh Hasina’s passport and Muhammad Khurshid Alam are the same person, we first conducted a keyword search using the two provided names.
Initially, we found that the Interim Government’s Foreign Secretary, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Mohammad Khurshid Alam served as a two-star Rear Admiral in the Bangladesh Navy.
He was simultaneously serving as the Secretary of Maritime Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the interim government. Later, he was appointed as the Acting Foreign Secretary. See the reports here: Ittefaq, The Financial Express.
On the other hand, the name used in the viral image differs from that of Mohammad Khurshid Alam. The name mentioned in the viral photo is SM Khurshid-Ul Alam. A keyword search using this name reveals that he is currently serving in the Commercial Wing of the Ministry of Commerce. See here. He is a Commercial Counselor at the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, USA.
There is currently no mention of the name SM Khurshid Ul Alam in any wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. See here. SM Khurshid Ul Alam, who is currently working under the Ministry of Commerce, served as Sheikh Hasina’s Protocol Officer-2 on January 25, 2018. Moreover, on April 1, 2019, he was again appointed as Protocol Officer-1. See here: Bangla Tribune.
The notice shows that SM Khurshid-Ul Alam signed the gazette from the Old Parliament Building, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office. This indicates that he was stationed at the Prime Minister’s Office, making his connection to Sheikh Hasina’s government clear.
It is important to note that SM Khurshid Ul Alam and Rear Admiral (Retd.) Muhammad Khurshid Alam of the Bangladesh Navy are two different individuals.
Conclusion
Therefore, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, appointed as the Foreign Secretary of the Interim Government, is not the SM Khurshid-Ul Alam mentioned in Sheikh Hasina’s viral passport. They are, in fact, two different individuals. Hence, the claim is false.
Result: False
Our Sources:
Newschecker’s Own Analysis
